Improvement in carpet-stretchers



R. J. PARRETT. Carpet-Stretcher.

No. 199,462. Patented Jan. 22,1878.

C KP I l. E .7 Y v .9 WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

NPETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON u C.

.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD J.PARRETT, OF ALBANY, INDIANA.

IM PROVEM ENT IN CARPET-STRETCH ERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,462, dated January 22, 1878; application filed December 3, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD J. PARRETT, of Albany, in the cormty of Delaware and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a top view, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, of my improved carpet-stretcher.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention has reference to an improved doubleacting carpet'stretcher, that may be readily handled by one person, and extended to suitable length, so as to hold the edges of the carpet in position for tacking; and it consists of sliding and guided bars with spurred cross-heads, that are operated by means of fixed top ratchets or racks, hand-levers, with pivot-pawls, and by check or stop pawls.

In the drawing, A represents the center or bed plate of my improved carpet-stretcher, and B the sliding bars of the same, that are guided by their longitudinal center slots (0 along fixed T-p'ieces b of the center piece.

Each sliding bar B is provided with a crosshead,-O, that is firmly bolted and braced to the bar B, and connected by suitable fastening devices cl to the other arm B, when the stretcher is to be moved after the Work is accomplished. To the top part of the sliding bars B are firmly screwed. or otherwise attached longitudinal ratchet or rack bars D, which are engaged by pivot-pawls D of handlevers E that are hingedto the center piece A. The pawl D may be disengaged from the ratchet-bar, and supported against a side pin, 0, of the hand-lever, when not required for work.

The ratchets or racks D arealso engaged by stop or check pivot-pawls F, that prevent the backward motion of the sliding bars during the pulling back of the hand-levers. These. check -pawls have fixed arms or rests f, by which they are supported when thrown back out of connection with the teeth of the ratchets.

The cross-heads (l are provided with curved spurs g at the under side, to take hold of the carpet near the edges, after the heads have first been adjusted by means of the sliding arms to the required length. When the stretching device is thus in position, the pawls are thrown into the ratchets and both hand-levers carried up toward each other, so as to force the slide-bars and spurred heads in opposite directions, and stretch the carpet sufficiently for tacking.

The ratchets, pawls, and lever of one slidebar are arranged in opposite direction to those of the other slide-bar, so that by bringing the levers toward each other, and finally connecting them by a leather or other band or metallic link, the stretcher holds the carpet rigidly for the tacks, By disconnecting the levers and raising the check-pawls out of the ratchets, the slide-bars may be pushed back, and the device be applied for stretching and tacking the adjoining sections, or for being returned into smaller shape for transportation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A carpet-stretcher having a foot-piece between two arms, the latter worked independently of each other by separate ratchets, pawls, and levers, substantially as shown and described.

RICHARD JEFFERSON PARRETT.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN LOCKHART, GoUR'sEN J. STRIGHT. 

